An online petition has added fuel to the debate between members of Southern Methodist University's faculty, staff and administration over whether SMU should build the George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum on its campus. Some students at AU are not sure if the Bush library would be welcome on AU's campus but believe there would be benefits of hosting the library.
The petition, "Books, Not Bombs: Say No to Bush Political [Institution]," is critical of a "partisan institute" the George W. Bush Presidential Library Site Selection Committee, a private group under Bush, wants to place on SMU's campus in addition to the library and museum.
The petition asserts the placement of a partisan think-tank, such as the proposed Bush Institute, on any campus would be contradictory to free and democratic education and "researchers hired by the institute to pursue the partisan agenda set by George W. Bush will borrow on SMU's credibility in the Academy."
The petition suggests the placement of the institute on-campus will "lower [SMU's] academic respectability" since the institute will seem to be associated with SMU's academic buildings and recommends the institute be placed off-campus.
Dana Burns, a freshman in the School of International Service, said she does not believe the Bush Institute would be welcome on AU's campus.
"The possibility of having a conservative think-tank on campus doesn't bother me, but I don't think it would fit in with the campus culture since it's so liberal," Burns said.
While the library and museum will be owned and operated by the National Archives and Records Administration, the institute will be independent from SMU and operated privately by the Bush Foundation, according to Patti LaSalle, SMU's associate vice president for public affairs.
LaSalle said the petition, which expresses opinions of some SMU faculty members, does not reflect a homogenous faculty opinion.
"There have been open discussions, resolutions in the Faculty Senate and commentaries published representing a range of views," LaSalle said. "Although this petition is critical of the project other faculty members have expressed support for the project."
Nathan Dolezal, a junior in the School of Public Affairs and the College of Arts and Sciences, said he believes a presidential library such as the proposed Bush library would bolster AU's standing in academia.
"Purely from the research standpoint it would be great," Dolezal said. "The fact that so much history has happened in the last eight years would make it a great research asset. Having a presidential library would add to the intellectual heft of the university and it would be fabulous if all those researchers came here to do work."
The final decision on SMU's candidacy for the Bush Library will be made by the SMU Board of Trustees and the Library Site Selection Committee, according to LaSalle. The Board, which is made up of around 40 members, is host to the president of the Faculty Senate, a student representative and an alumni representative who can voice concerns of their groups to the Board, according to LaSalle.
Eight institutions in Texas had competed to host the George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum before this number was narrowed down to three, and in December the Library Site Selection Committee said it would focus its discussion on SMU, LaSalle said.
Julie Munro, a freshman in CAS, said she finds humor in this situation.
"If they want to think, they don't need a tank," Munro said. "I think it's exciting that the very controversy over this think-tank inspires thought"
